Debrief week: We all knew it was coming, but a shock none the less

Just when our time in Belize seemed it would never end, when were all settled in and when the locals around town would consider us a familiar friendly face, debrief week snuck up on us. We all knew it was coming. While mixtures of nervousness and excitement swirled in our conversations, we began to prepare for our homecomings. But there was still so much to do! Savoring our last moments in Belize, students visited their internships, stopped by their home stays for dinner, took early morning canoe trips, and even hopped on some horses for a final evening ride. Not to mention pack!

Truly a team effort in planting, a final watering nestles the Hibiscus into the Nabitunich soil.

The CCSP staff also facilitated debrief sessions to get everyone in a mindset of re-entry. Though difficult while still being in Belize at the time, debrief discussions reach their pinnacle when re-entry is real, when students exit the airplane. Discussions, journaling, as well as real-life simulation acting skills were utilized to help get a jump-start into the big question we knew we’d all face: “So, how was Belize”? Visiting the Rio Ohn pools in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, as well as Tubing down the Macal River at Black Rock River Resort were great ways to still encounter new breathtaking places in Belize up until the very end. These trips also provided some final fun times for the community. Singing in the van, chatting, and just plain catching up on sleep were all crucial parts of our van sub-culture.

Strappin' up those helmets for some tubing!

Last but definitely not least, a final celebration packed with very talented performances, skits, video clips, award ceremonies, slide shows, and cake topped off our week. It was the kind of night that you just didn’t want to end, the gut-wrenching laughs just kept dishing out, dances abounded, and the songs just kept pouring into our ears in celebration. Wishing the students Shalom and blessings on their work to come after CCSP, the CCSP alumni spread their newly grown Belizean wings off to their homes and schools. What new adventures, challenges, and joys await them we can only eagerly wait to see. And as for the staff’s last aspiring plea, we hope they, truly succeed in the journey beyond the Caribbean Sea… triumphantly.

"Ed" "Ned" and "Fred" instruct us on how to prepare fine "Tapir Chips" cuisine- A recipe of their very own!

Marissa's performance debut, what an honor!

A Journey in a poem: A good bye poem from Jenney.

A work of Integration and Re-imagining

The last course of the semester at CCSP is Sustainable Community Development – Integration Week. This course is taught by our program director here in Belize, Derek Rosenberger. This week was packed with thought provoking articles, challenging films, lively discussions, thoughtful presentations and delicious hot drinks. Students explored the deeper questions that this semester has been developing in them. What is at the heart of the great failures to care for the earth and its people? How are we called specifically to address these issues? Are we doing enough? What can we do? What does Christ call us to do? What will I do? Thoughts and ideas flew across the table and personal commitments were formulated and discussed.

Throughout the semester we talked about the need to re-imagine the world around us and renew what has been destroyed. To finish off the week we did a small bit of creative renewing of our own! Through our Trash Art Show the pieces of litter found along the roads that pass through our local village were transformed into some wonderful pieces of art. Take a look!

Marine Ecology: One Fish, Two Fish, Stoplight Parrotfish

Our Tropical Ecology course has wrapped up with the highly anticipated third segment: Marine Ecology! Dr. Laurie Furlong joined us from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa to lead us as we “dove in” head first to learn about the beautiful world waiting beneath the surface of the ocean. Throughout the week, we used Osha Gray Davidson's metaphor of the "Enchanted Braid" as we explored the intricate, interwoven relationships present in the marine ecosystem.


Of course, what better place is there to study Marine Ecology than a tropical island? We packed up and headed out on Sunday for four days at Glover’s Atoll, a tiny piece of paradise off the coast of Belize. This beautiful island is located in a marine reserve, making it a perfect location to experience the world’s second largest barrier reef system first hand. In class, we unraveled the special relationship between sea grass, mangrove, and coral reef communities in lecture … and then hopped in the ocean only a few steps away to see those relationships first hand! We saw the tiny fish in the “nursery” sea grass communities, were dazzled by the colorful array of adult fish and impressive coral formations in the reef communities, and got up close and personal with jellyfish and surprisingly friendly juvenile fish in the sediment-securing roots of the mangrove communities. Without any one of these three components, the marine ecosystem would fall apart – yet as a tightly interwoven “braid,” all three come together to support the wide variety of living creatures we interacted with on a daily basis through snorkeling, reef rubble creature-seeking, and algae exploration.

One of the key components of this course was a research project. Over the course of our time at Glover’s, Marissa, Becky, Stacey, Scott, Jenna, and Rebekah observed the feeding habits of fish and urchins on clean sea grass blades vs. “biofouled” (algae covered) sea grass blades, while Jenney, Michelle, Kalli, and Daniel arranged conch shells in and out of a sea grass bed to see who would move in! Both groups had great success, with plenty of biofouled sea grass grazing and a whole host of new occupants in the conch shells (including crabs, fish, and an octopus!). It was amazing to see everything we were able to discover about the workings of the world around us with a few days of hands-on application in the field.

All too soon it was time to leave our little island paradise and head back to campus, bringing plenty of memories and great new experiences with us. Though we were sad to leave, it's always great to get back to our home at the Nab!

Birthday bashes and Holiday feasts

Throughout the semester, there have been many celebrations happening here in Belize. We have had five birthday parties this semester, and celebrated each birthday in a very unique way. For Kalli’s birthday, a fun game of ninja tag was the highlight of the night. For Jenna, we had a sweet beach party including sand sculptures and beach volleyball. For Jon’s birthday, we played a fun game of telephone pictionary, the theme of the game was the birthday man himself. For the birthday of the leader of the pack, Derek, we had a coconut cake with chocolate frosting out on Glover’s Atoll, and discovered new, endemic and rare insect species and presented these unique specimens to Derek! And for our final CCSP birthday, we created a CCSP Belize yearbook for Jenney, and of course, who better to be the chief editor of the yearbook, themed “This is Belize,” then the birthday girl herself!


For Halloween this semester, the students put on their crazy costumes, trick and treated at Jon and Kelly’s house, and carved, of course…watermelons!


And, as CCSP tradition goes here in Belize, we threw a Thanksgiving party including the feasts of all feasts! Ms. Shelley, Ms. Flora, Ashley and Kelly worked hard in the kitchen and produced two delicious turkeys seasoned with ricado, mash potatoes from paradise, sweet potatoes, rice, pasta salad, stuffing and yes, pies…pumpkin pie, cherry pie, and pecan pie, compliments of Rekekah and Michelle! Invited to the feast were the Juans, all the CCSP staff, and Laurie Furlong, our Marine Ecology professor. To finish off the night, Pablo Collado performed his traditional Mayan music and wooed us all with his flutes and tunes.



All semester, we have been reflecting and learning about Shalom, and what Shalom looks like here on earth. Often times, we forget that part of God’s shalom is rejoicing and delight. So, as we celebrated birthdays and holidays this semester, we delighted in each other and in creation, and enjoyed being a part of God’s kingdom.

Work Weekend

This past weekend, several students and staff took the chance to get their hands dirty, their clothes stained, and their muscles worked by volunteering at the Belize Zoo and the Belize Botanical Gardens!

The Belize Zoo was hit hard by Hurricane Richard and has been trying to recover since. Marissa, Michelle, Kalli, Ashley and Nick headed to the zoo on Saturday and helped out by painting CK the jaguar’s cage and clearing out branches and debris from the trails. They even got to see some crazy animal behavior from the tapirs, spider monkeys, jaguars and crocodiles!


On Sunday, Marissa, Brindley and Scott headed to the Belize Botanical Gardens and volunteered with Joe Canto, one of the gardeners at BBG. They propagated orchids and lilies, did some transplanting and of course, watered. It was a great chance to get up to the gardens, help out and be surrounded by the beautiful Belizean flora!

Meet the Vallejos Family...

Alfonso is a Belizean who has played a big part in our program for many years now. He was born and raised in a small village, which is in the northernmost district of Belize, bordering Mexico. For Sustainable Community Development II, we make a trip up north to spend a few days in and around the village being led and informed by Alfonso, throughout our time there. He brings a lot of great insight and real life experience to our conversations and observations on subjects such as community development, economic and agricultural issues.

As we study development it is easy to feel burdened by the path our world has taken and to sometimes feel as though we have no answer to fix all these problems we see. But Alfonso and his family bring us great hope. They show us that a little idea can make a big difference, if you put that idea into action.

Alfonso’s brother, Ishmael, helped start Jacobs Farm a few years ago. It is a rehab center situated right outside the village on a few acres of land. This is a wonderful project where men who are recovering from drugs and alcohol can retreat and get away for a few months. They work on the farm, raise chickens, tilapia, vegetables, pigs, and receive counseling and encouragement throughout their time there.

Alfonso’s sister, Lydia, has carried on the women’s group that her mother started decades ago. She helps to run the store with four other women involved. They just recently established the Dorcas house, which they plan on using as a space to meet and mentor to women in the community, especially single mothers who need help with food and shelter.

Alfonso himself has been a real leader in the community. He has established his own organic farm and has been working to educate others on his agroecological farming technique and how to be a good steward of God’s green earth.

We were able to talk about a lot this week and see in this village many of the things that we discussed in the classroom, our eyes were opened and we are eager to learn more.

Our well-traveled, experienced professor Rusty Pritchard, made this week come together beautifully, connecting themes with what we were seeing in the field. To get a glimpse of more of the themes we covered in class, check out his blog at http://flourishonline.org/2010/11/the-real-earth-day/ .

This is at Jacobs Farm, rehab center where we got to spend time with Alfonso's brother, Ishmael and get a tour and history of the farm.
Here Alfonso is showing us his organic farm and teaching us certain techniques used by him.

Poetry to Ponder

"Something we read forms us no less than something we live through"

-Tobias Wolff

Environmental Literature, known to the students as Imagining the Earth, was a week of diving into poetry, scripture, and fiction pieces while learning to critique them as environmental texts. We were graced by Drew Ward’s presence once again for this week of learning.

Nick and Brindley (the two Student Life Coordinators) wrote a poem, devoted to Drew Ward and tried to include almost every poem that was read and talked about throughout the week. Here it is (read it out loud, with passion!)…

Mr. Ward they call him,

Well I’m lucky enough to call him Drew.

A man I once met who looked buff enough to toss me over a volleyball net with as much umph as the ball,

Was enjoying a foot soak… with cucumbers over his eyes.

These cucumbers are no guise, yes indeed… we were in for a surprise.

Coming fresh from his audition for the next broadway production of the Hulk, he dives into the tiny foot soak bucket with as much enthusiasm as he dives into a book.

Embracing the new encounters yet to come, be it bedazzling or be it cumbersome, he… was diving in face first.

The mending wall; made me think twice next time I say hello to my neighbor Paul,

No cows, no elves, no apple orchards here, so there surely must be no excuse…

To ask how he’s doing.

Snyder was a writer, challenged me to go lighter, learning flowers along the way.

A community, a class, we’re making it there, to the valley, in peace… struggles and all.

Maybe there will be solace, but for now this, we shall not miss, so we share it For the Children.

We walked home from Oak-Head with her, feeling oh so sure

That snow would come so soon, we felt the chill and well it was a thrill until

The Californians brought us back to here. Imagining is always easier when someone else imagined it first. So challenged we were by her and Drew to re-imagine all we knew.

And down to the Root Cellar which really wasn’t stellar just dank and dark and drooped. At least during this discussion there was no constant drumming coming from… the birds outside our window. As we leaned in and huddled it was a struggle to hear a word at all, but when we came together to sing a song of praise our voices overcame…or we just moved to the lounge.

And we cannot forget what most we are thankful for, the trip along the bumpy road to falling waters upon our heads and the green lush of pines surround our walk up and down. Refreshed, renewed, rejuvenating and just plain freezing

The Friday morning rain left us stuck outside under a Black Oak with Mary Oliver. A Belizean day like any other. Not one can imagine a single sound through the Brown Jays carp… and carp… and carp…. And eat the Tomatoes in the Garden Get away shoo!!

Maybe I can avoid writing my final paper that lurks to the left, shifting its weight from one side to another… its too ambitious, and I’m enjoying the Belizean rain.

“There is Wendell Berry and then there are other poets” to quote the poet himself, Drew Ward. Who set aside special time just to meditate on and understand “The Dream” and to figure out “To What Listens”, and to learn to truly appreciate “The Silence”, while reading in “The Meadow” or perhaps under “The Sycamore” and of course talking all about “Enriching the Earth”.

So I was never tossed over the volleyball net, yet, anyway…

And maybe he helped dumped out those small bags of stars onto our shoulders as he sings and sweats and sings and sweats on his strolls, laughs in bowls, around Nabitunich.

This, buff man with cucumbers on his eyes, enjoying a foot soak, diving in face first just like a pile of books.

On your departure, we bid thee… Shalom good sir.

We were able to get off campus for the day and enjoy class at Five Sisters Lodge , with an amazing (somewhat distracting) view. Then we made our way to Big Rock Falls for lunch and an afternoon swim.

Michelle, just hanging out under a waterfall.

Some of the students taking a study break at Big Rock Falls in Mountain Pine Ridge.